There are 5 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2014 Subaru Imprezain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I was starting to reverse out of a parking spot in an underground parking lot. (It was about 10 am). The car accelerated and went backwards at top speed into a wall and door that led to elevators. It happened very suddenly. I did not have time to brake before impact. The car was still running after impact and I had to switch off the ignition to stop the engine running. The airbags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. I had ringing in my ears afterwards, was having difficulty focusing my thoughts. Pain in the tendons of my neck lasted a few days. I only realized later that I probably had a concussion from whiplash. My son was sitting in the back seat, and my daughter was standing nearby outside the car, but thank goodness, neither were injured. Fortunately no one was coming through the door into which the car crashed. The car was drivable despite the severe damage to the rear end. I drove it up to street level, where it was towed from to a body shop. The following week it was declared a total loss, and sent to salvage. I have not yet reported this to the manufacturer. It was only while I doing research to get a new car, that I stumbled upon the issue of subaru imprezas suddenly accelerating on their own. Now everything makes sense, although it doesn't lessen the trauma that we all experienced. I truly hope this doesn't happen to anyone else.
VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. WAS ABLE TO PULL CAR OVER QUICKLY AND THROW IT INTO NEUTRAL. IT THEN PRECEDED TO ACCELERATE RADICALLY ON ITS OWN. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING, THE HORN LOST ITS CONNECTION AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO HONK AT THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME. I AVOIDED A COLLUSION BY PULLING OVER IMMEDIATELY. THIS TOOK PLACE ON A CITY STREET GOING ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR DRIVING STRAIGHT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A RED LIGHT WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A NECK INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NAPLETON'S ARLINGTON SUBARU MAZDA (LOCATED AT 1555 E RAND RD, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL 60004 (847) 255-5700), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.
ABOUT 6-8 MONTHS AGO AS I WAS MAKING A TURN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN THE ENGINE THROTTLED UP. AND AFTER A FEW MOMENTS WENT BACK TO NORMAL. TWO WEEKS AGO AS I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE COMING TO A STOP SIGN THE ENGINE THROTTLED UP AND I HAD DIFFICULTY COMING TO A STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. WHEN I STARTED IT AGAIN THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO HIGH THROTTLE TO THE POINT THAT THE FRONT OF THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING. I TURNED IT OFF AGAIN AND RESTARTED IT AND THIS TIME IT WAS OK. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP. THEIR MECHANIC RAN THE DIAGNOSTICS AND WAS UNABLE TO PIN POINT THE PROBLEM. THEY DECIDED TO CALL THE SUBARU TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT AND WERE TOLD TO NOT LET ME DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THEIR ENGINEER TOOK A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS A WEEK AGO AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND.
DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2014 I HAD A FEW QUESTIONABLE INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED PULLING IN TO VARIOUS PARKING SPACES, WHETHER IT WAS THE SUPERMARKET OR THE SCHOOLS WITH WHICH MY CHILDREN ATTEND AND THAT I WORK. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT AS THIS IS A NEW CAR AND IT SHOULD WORK PERFECTLY. THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17TH THIS WAS THE MOMENT I KNEW I WASN'T IMAGINING THINGS, MY FIRST MOMENT OF COMPLETE PANIC AS MY BRAND NEW CAR UNINTENDED ACCELERATED TOWARD MY GARAGE. I HAD JUST DROPPED OFF MY CHILD AND A NEIGHBORS CHILD AT SCHOOL. WE CARPOOL TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT. I APPLIED AS MUCH PRESSURE I COULD TO BRAKE THAT CAR. I KNEW AT THIS MOMENT IT WASN'T ME AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE NOTICE AND ACTION IN JANUARY. MARCH 7TH IT WAS JUST ANOTHER TYPICAL DAY OF DRIVING MY AND MY NEIGHBORS' CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL. WE HAD MY SON'S FRIEND IN THE CAR, BOTH ARE ONLY 9/8 YEARS OF AGE, MY DAUGHTER, 11, HAD HER FRIEND IN THE CAR. WE WENT FROM THE LIBRARY DROPPED OFF MY SON'S FRIEND AND PROCEEDED HOME. WE WERE ALL LAUGHING AND HAVING A GOOD TIME AS WE PULLED IN TO THE DRIVEWAY. ALL OF SUDDEN THE CAR HAD AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATED MOMENT AND RACED TOWARD THE GARAGE. ONCE THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED THERE, WAS COMPLETE DEAD SILENCE. SKID MARKS ON MY DRIVEWAY. I IMMEDIATELY WENT IN TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP TO INFORM AND FIND OUT WHAT TO DO. MARCH 14TH LOADED 2 DOGS IN TO THE CAR TO GO TO THE PARK. AS WE BACKED OUT I SAW THE OTHER TWO AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE A FAMILY AFFAIR. WE HAVE 4 LABRADORS. SO AS I PULLED BACK IN TO THE DRIVEWAY AND AS WE (THE DOGS AND I) PULLED IN, THE CAR AGAIN ACCELERATED TOWARDS THE GARAGE. AT THIS POINT I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND SAID THAT IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. STILL THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND EVEN CAME AND DROVE IT AT MY HOUSE WITH THE CAR COMPUTER ATTACHED TO A LAPTOP. WE DROVE IN AND OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY 2 TIMES. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026